Shoe rack



ay Us 195@ A. s. DARBY SHOE RACK Filed July 18. 1946 1N VEN TOR.

Trae/V556 Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 12 claims. 1

This invention relates to shoe racks, and is an improvement over my copending application, Serial Number 645,331, filed February 4, 1945, for a shoe rack, which has become abandoned.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved shoe rack for supporting shoes from a wall or other suitable support.

Another object of this invention is to provide a, shoe rack having individual shoe supporting members which may be inserted into a shoe and which are particularly adapted to not only support or suspend the shoe, but also to form a substantial shoe tree to support the normal shape of the shoe while it is being supported on the rack.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved shoe rack of the type to be hereinafter described, having individual shoe supporting members constructed out of a single length of wire engageable on a supporting bar at an angie to the vertical, the supporting bar being so con1 structed that the angle of inclination of the shoe supporting members may be reversed by simply inverting the supporting bar.

Still another object of this invention is to prof Vide a shoe rack having a supporting bar and shoe supporting members removably engaging the bar in a selected direction of inclination.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specication, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a shoe rack constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical section of a modified form of supporting bar,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation oi a modied form of shoe supporting member, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevation of the rack of Figure 1 with the shoe supporting member in the opposite direction.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral iii designates generally a horizontal supporting bar constructed according to an embodiment or" this invention on which are attached a plurality of shoe supporting members designated generally by the numeral 1I. The bar Iii is adapted to be horizontally supported and if thin, may be disposed on edge with its wide faces upright or vertical xedly attached to a vertical support I2 as a door or wall, or other suitable place where shoes are generally stored for a short time as in a home or on display. The shoe supporting members are usually disposed on the bar in pairs and in Figure 1 the bar I0 is shown as supporting two pairs. Each of the shoe supporting members I I is of similar construction formed from a length of wire having a certain degree of resiliency while maintaining a substantial degree of rigidity.

The supporting member I I is formed of a single length of wire bent upon itself to provide a substantially inverted U-shaped member or oppositely tapered open loop sufliciently narrow widthwise to enter or t into a shoe crosswise at the toe and vamp or instep having the bight I4 thereof at the uppermost end, the bight being relatively short or narrow, centrally located horizontally and of a, straight configuration, and the upper half side portions or arms I5 of the U-shaped member being disposed in a downwardly divergent relation for substantially half the length or height of the member or loop. The arms I5 are then convergent or inclined inwardly toward each other to form a pair of oppositely disposed downwardly converging arms or lower side portions I6. The lower end of one arm I5 terminates where the arms or side portions are adjacent or come together and is the end of the length of the wire, and the other arm lli is bent at its lower end or junction point with the rst arm at substantially e, right angle to the supporting member I I or horizontally at an acute angle to the lower portion of the latter arm and in the same yplane as the arms I5 and I6, `to provide a base arm I'I. The arm Il is in turn bent at right angles upwardly, coplaner to or still in e, plane common to the member II, and reverted outwardly to form a gooseneck or laterally extended or offset inverted U-shaped hook I8, the lower end of the outer arm I9 terminating in the horizontal plane of portion Il at the other end of the length of wire.

The free end of the first arm I6, being one end of the wire, is not attached to any part of the shoe supporting member II, thus permitting the arms i5 and I6 to be stretched, bent or clistorted to provide a certain degree of adjustment of the shoe supporting member I I coplaner with or at an incline or angle to the base arm I1, hook or grooseneck I8 and outer arm I9 for engagement of parts I3 'and I9 in openings or grooves at an angle or inclined, or vertically of the supporting bar Ii) or to t different sized shoes, Yet being stiff enough to press outwardly at the sides within the shoes to hold their shape while on the member I I.

There may be certain constructions of this shoe rack where it is desirable to secure this lower end of the one or iirst arm I6 and adjustment may be made by distorting the complete shape of the member I i. At this time the end of the first arm I may be secured to the lower end of the other o1' secondgarm.A [Gland base- Il by weldingk as at 2l or any. other suitable attaching means, `as shown in Figure 4.

The supporting bar I@ is formed of a suitably supported horizontal bar or an elongatedjfiat strip of metal, wood, plastic or any suitable material with its narrow edges at thetop and-.hottom and its Wide faces uprightvorvertical. and is secured to the vertical supporting member 'i2 transversely thereof, by screws or other; suitable attaching means. The horizontally supported, bazl El. is formed on eachvertical. sidegwith .oppositely disposed aligned .grooves 4.or. slots 2,2 which y are vertical .or inclined filtran/.angle to ...the .vertical .whereby the arms .of the .inverted V` Ushaped hookl may engage in the groovesor -Slots 22. on opposite sides. of the par lo ,with the Lbight. at thegtop of theihoozk I 8. overftheltopiedge ,of :bar .I tfor supporting .the shoe :supporting vmen'iloer I I Vat'gan angle. or, inclined position-to the ,b arr I0 or, withthegrgoves .orslotsiZZ vertical, the member `I6 `may .be vvertical .er .bent fat Eits jungsture withgthe base all; atlsuch angle..V or in- 'lined position. et,Qeriaintmesbesausefof the particular location -olf the lshoe rack, iit :be desirable iP-have .the members .l uneunedin .the opposite direction `or to extend Iupwardly yto .the .rightvas in. Figure 1, and, at other .times .upwardly 'to the leftasinljiguref. .To changetheangle-of the members I Lit is qnecessarygonlyvto,.slide the members I I fromrthe bar il), fremQve the .bar dIll A,from V*the wall I2 and reinstall :the bar I0 in .an inverted position o r ,reversed 4end ,to end, whereupon theslotsZ-will .beinclinedin the opposite direction and. the ,members 1| `may .be again .Slippedinio ,plagel 4By usingga bar .Iil as describedabove,,thgputer arm .I8 of the hooi; I8 `is engaged kbetween the bar Il) and wall llf2 in the .IlSideslotZL An alternative .form-or construtign :of the har is shown iin'l'igure 3, wherein the lbar .Illa .is Iformed .with

' an inclined or vertical bored!! in lieu L of the grooves?? i0 receive the 1.9 .therein and me hook lIl? engaged over and against .the front sur.- face of the bar lila the bight of h ools .I3 over tl'iev top edge of the bar with the supporting mem.- ber I@ vertical or bent 4from arm Il at an angle orinclined position in either direction and supportedr'and retained :in position, whereupon the arm IS `does not .wcontact'the wall l2 at Yany time. The .bar may be reversed in the vsame mam Yner'afs Athe bar I!) for changipgthe direction of the angle ofthe shoe supporting mombr il.

A shoe rack of this lind may be mounted at any` convenient location and when any number of shoe supporting members II are not used the members II may be readily slipped from the bar lil or Illa, thereby providing more room as in a closet and eliminating unnecessary obstructions at other locations, and may just as readily be reinstalled when again desired.

Il do not mean tov ceniine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed but claim all variations falling within the purview' of the appended claims;

What .I Qleim isf 1. A shoe rack comprising an elongated horivings extending through the top and bottom edges rthereof, said shoe supporting member formed of lnhgthgof Wire bent upon itself to form a subistan'ially,inverted U-shaped shoe engaging por- 'tion-and-an'inverted U-shaped bar engaging hook .oplanar with said shoe engaging portion and slidably engageable in said openings.

3. Ashoe-.rackas set forth in claim 2 wherein one i lowerearm lof: saidshoefengaging `portion is `.secured.tojthelower eend of .theopposite arm thereof. Y

4. A shoe rack .comprisingan elongated `suptporting bar anda/shoe engaging memberengageable thereon, said bar formed .with grooves .on. opposite sides thereon-said grooves disposed .at-an .angle to the fvertcal, .said .fshoe engaging Imember formedof allength of Wire bent upon itself `toforma substantially-inverted .U-shaped shoe .engaging iportion; and-an inverted .U shaped .bar-engaging hook,.the.arms .of lsaid hokslidrablelin said grooves. A

V5. A shoe rack comprising an elongated supporting baranda shoe supporting member slidable thereon, .said barformed with `bores therethrough, said bores being disposed at an angleto Vthe vertical, Vsaid .shoe engaging member `formed ,of a'length'of wire 'bent upon itself to lforms substantially invertedU-.shaped shoe engaging portion and .an .inverted U.shaped bar engaging hook; the "free arm of said 'hook slidablein said bore.

`(i. A shoe rack comprising .an elongated horizontal bar .and .a .shoe .supporting .member slidably engaging .said bar, said supporting bar formed with vertically disposed openings, said shoe supporting member formed of a, length oi Wirebent upon itself `to form a substantially inyerted .U-shaped `shoe engaging portion and an inverted U-shaped '.bar engaging hook on Vsaid shoe engaging portion slidably engageable `in said openings. Y

7. A shoe rack comprising an elongated bar, said bar being formed with aligned grooves on opposite sides thereof, and a shoe supporting member formed of a length of Wire having one end portion bent to form a shoe engagingloop with a horizontal portion at the bottom with an inverted U-shaped 'hook on its free end to slidably engage the grooves with the top bight portion thereof against the top edge of the bar.

8. A shoe rack comprising an elongated supporting bar disposed horizontally on edge, said bar being formed with spaced parallel aligned openings on opposite sides thereof, and shoe supporting members engageable with said bar, each of .said members being formedwith an inverted vertical loop having a portion extended horizontally at the bottom of the loop and an upwardly extending inverted hook at the free end of the horizontal portion having a bight at the top and side portions adapted to slidably and detachably engage overthe top edge of the bar and with said openings.

9. A shoe rack comprising an elongated horizontal supporting bar formed with spaced 4parallel aligned grooves on opposite sides thereof, and a shoe supporting member engageable with said bar, said member being formed of a length of Wire having one end portion bent upon itself to form a shoe engaging loop with a, horizontal portion extending from the bottom of one side of the loop and the end of said horizontal portion bent to form an upwardly extending U-shaped hook, said horizontal portion and hook being in the same plane as the loo-p and said hook adapted to detachably engage in said grooves.

10. A shoe rack comprising a supporting bar disposed on edge in a horizontal position and having openings therein extending from top to bottom, and a shoe supporting member comprising a length of Wire bent to form a loop with a bight at the top and sides brought together at the bottom, one side being bent from the bottom of the loop horizontally coplanar with the loop, then upwardly in spaced relation to the loop and finally downwardly in spaced relation to said upwardly bent portion to form an inverted hook adapted to engage over the bar at its top edge and with the downwardly bent portion slidably engageable with and extending into the opening and the upwardly bent portion against the front of the bar.

11. A shoe rack comprising an elongated horizontal supporting bar having opposite vertical surfaces and formed with spaced upright openings extending through its top and bottom edges and a shoe supporting member formed of a strand of wire bent to form a loop with its bight portion at the top and tapering in opposite directions wth the lower portions thereof converging toward each other and then one portion bent horizontally and formed with an inverted hook at its free end coplanar with and spaced from the loop for engagement over the top oi the bar in said opening and against at least one face of the bar, said loop adapted to extend vertically or at an incline.

12. A shoe rack comprising a horizontal supporting bar disposed on edge and a shoe supporting member slidably engaging said bar, said bar being formed with spaced inclined parallel i openings extending from top to bottom, said member being formed of a length of bendable material bent upon itself to form an inverted substantially U-shaped shoe engaging portion With its sides brought toward each other at the "bottom and the lower end of one side bent to 15 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 335,189 Gray Feb. 2, 1886 390,571 Currie, Jr. Oct. 2, 1888 1,163,038 Robertson et al Dec. 7, 1915 1,307,211 Newlon June 17, 1919 1,441,913 Darling Jan. 9, 1923 1,566,982 Shee Dec. 22, 1925 1,953,396 Dunn Apr. 3, 1934 2,017,413 La Mort Oct. 15, 1935 2,093,802 Brown Sept.. 21, 1937 2,295,886 Beck Sept. 15, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 264,629 Great Britain Jan.. 27, 1927 

